Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an improved weather strip where in the corner portion is molded.
The weather strip is provided for fixed window glass members such as front and rear windows of a vehicle, a quarter window or the like, door attaching members such as a hood, a door, a sun roof or the like, and slide members such as that between a door and a door glass, so as to protect the vehicle interior from the weather, dust, sound, heat and cold or the like. It also prevents that the air within the vehicle from being drawn to the outside during the high speed motion.
FIG. 1 shows a rear surface of a prior art weather strip arranged in part A of a vehicle 2 shown in FIG. 2. FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken on line III--III in FIG. 1.
The weather strip 1 comprises a corner portion 3, a lateral edge glass run portion 11 corrsponding to lateral edge of a window glass G, and a longitudinal edge glass run portion 21 corresponding to longitudinal edge of the window glass G.
The corner portion 3 is formed by a lateral piece 5 connected to the lateral edge glass run portion 11 and a longitudinal piece 7 connected to the longitudinal glass run portion 21. The lateral piece 5 and the longitudinal piece 7 are connected to each other to form a L-like shape. A hollow portion 9 is formed in the lateral piece 5. The hollow portion 9 continues to a hollow portion 15a of a seal portion 15 of the lateral edge glass run portion 11, and abuts on the lateral edge of the window glass G. In FIG. 3, numeral 6 designates a front wall of the hollow portion 9, numeral 8 designates a rear wall thereof, and numeral 12 designates a side wall thereof. An undercut portion 10 is formed in the left end portion of the front wall 6 due to influence of the longitudinal piece 7. A glass slider 31 is mounted to the longitudinal edge of the window glass G. Consequently, the left end of the hollow portion 9 in the figure seals the upper edge of the glass slider 31. The glass slider 31 includes a slide portion 33 sliding on the longitudinal edge glass run portion 21, and a fixed portion 35 grasping the window glass G.
The lateral edge glass run portion 11 includes a base portion 13, a seal portion 15 and a bent lip 19. The base portion 13 has a L-shaped cross-section and four convex stripe portions are raised therefrom and engaged with a rail portion (not shown) of the vehicle body. The seal portion 15 is constructed by an engaging wall 16 and a seal wall 17 in ring form. The seal wall 17 seal the window glass G. The engaging wall 16 together with the bent lip 19 grasps the window glass G so as to position the window glass G with respect to the seal wall 17.
The longitudinal edge glass run portion 21 includes a base portion 23 with a U-like cross-section, and a pair of seal lip portions 25, 27. Four convex stripe portions 24 are raised from the base portion 23 and engaged with a rail portion (not shown) of the vehicle body. The seal lip portions 25, 27 seal both side surfaces of the glass slider 31.
The weather strip 1 is formed such that each of the glass run portions 11, 21 is molded by extrusion, and the corner portion 3 is then molded (injection molding, transfer molding or the like) and the three members are connected. Since the hollow portion 9 exists in the corner portion 3, a core is used. Numeral 4 in FIG. 3 designates a core drawing hole.
In the above described weather strip 1, however, the undercut portion 10 is formed at the left end of the front wall 6 of the lateral piece 5 because of longitudinal piece 7. Thus when the corner portion 3 is molded, the front wall 10 becomes an undercut for the core. That is, the core drawing direction (shown by the arrow in FIG. 3) is shifted from the extension of the axial line of the core (shown by dash-and-dot line in FIG. 3). Also the drawing hole 4 is smaller than the hollow portion 9 because of undercut portion 10. Consequently, the circumferential edge of drawing hole 4 interferes with the core and drawing the core becomes difficult. When the core is drawn with force, crack may occur in the circumferential edge of the drawing hole 4. The weather strip having such a crack will be an inferior article. Inferior articles raise the manufacturing costs of the weather strip.